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NOTICE -- New Experimental "Coral Bleaching Indices" -- NOW ON-LINE
<p><font color="#FF0000">Coral Reef Bleaching Indices:</font> - NOAA's
National Environmental Satellite,
<br>Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) inaugurated February 22, 2000,
a
<br>new on-line "Coral Reef Bleaching Indices" page. This release
is timed to
<br>closely coincide with the Department of Commerce's hosting of the US
Coral
<br>Reef Task Force (CRTF), March 2. Encouraged by the CRTF, this
web-site shows,
<br>at a glance, key parameters for coral reef bleaching at 24 chosen sites
throughout
<br>the global reef community: 6- Atlantic Ocean ; 6 - Indian Ocean; and
12- Pacific
<br>Ocean. Links are included that allows the visitor access to additional
relevant
<br>on-line information. These links will continue to be enhanced
to hopefully
<br>generate much needed calibrations and validations from our users in
the field.
<br>Parameters being displayed included: Current temperature; expected
maximum
<br>summertime value; accumulations of potential bleaching thermal stress,
"degree
<br>heating weeks (DHW)," for past 12 weeks (3 months); highest DHW
<br>accumulations seen during past 10 years for this same period.
Site name "blinks"
<br>when real-time SSTs exceed maximum summertime SST expected (climatology)
<br>-- this black blinking name will convert to "red" whenever the SST
reaches (or
<br>exceeds) a level that is one degree (C) above the expected summertime
value.
<p>New Indices are seen at:
<br> <font color="#FF6600"><A HREF="http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/dhw_news.html">http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/dhw_news.html</A></font>
<p>or may be reached through the NOAA's Bleaching HotSpot website at:
<br> <font color="#00CC00"><A HREF="http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/PSB/EPS/SST/climohot.html">http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/PSB/EPS/SST/climohot.html</A></font>
<p>We look forward to your feedback (form provided) as we seek ways to
serve
<br>you better.
<p>AE Strong
<p>--
<br>**** <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* <><
******* <>< ******* <>< *****
<br>Alan E. Strong
<br> Phys Scientist/Oceanographer
<br> NOAA/NESDIS/ORA/ORAD -- E/RA3
<br> NOAA Science Center -- RM 711W
<br> 5200 Auth Road
<br> Camp Springs, MD 20746-4304
<br> Alan.E.Strong@noaa.gov
<br>
301-763-8102 x170 FAX: 301-763-8108
<br>
<A HREF="http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad">http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad</A>
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